I really appreciate how you draw out loss of trust in ourselves. That resonated deeply. I see how this leads me to seek external validation in unhelpful, performative ways. Enjoying your writing!
Loved the article you wrote, thanks a lot for sharing. I worked as a marketer for big hospitality brands for over a decade and I have to admit that I have become disillusioned (as well as disgusted) by the many tactics deployed by marketers. The industry used to thrive on creativity, especially back in those days when online marketing wasn’t a thing. But these days, marketing tactics seem to revolve a little too much around consumers manipulation. It feels like us consumers are waking up to the reality that we’re not as “protected” as we thought we were.
I'm glad you like it and how right you are about online marketing. It is written during the pandemic, under that effect many of us had then that we were going to come out better, that COVID had exposed our vulnerabilities, and that there was no way things would ever go back to the way we were. Then, came the war in Ukraine, the terrible genocide in Gaza, the re-election of Trump, and the certainty that climate change is here and it is terrifying. In these circumstances, I think my brain cells, if they are to be of any use, have to be in the reinvention of a system in the service of the 99%. And I'm not sure that branding as we understand it now has a place in that new world. It needs urgent reinvention.
I am absolutely 100% with you there. This is the collective consciousness I've been thinking about. The experience you described, I can resonate with to a tee. My husband and I had to close down our restaurant business in London during the London lockdown. We watched the Russian invasion and looked at each other fearing that World war III breakout was closer than we realised. When the global supply chain impacted all of us, I realised how interconnected we really are. When I started seeing actual emotional disconnection from people around me (to return to the 'bubble'), I decided that I wanted to be very vocal about what's going on.
When I watched Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth back when it first came out in 2006, I really thought that the world will have figured something workable and sustainable by now but nope, it's not even on the main agenda right now. I live in Thailand and I can honestly say that our beaches changed a lot. We've lost a lot of beach space over the years. The sand used to be filled with seashells but now, quite rare to see one.
In service of the 99% is such a great way to put it. Simple and to the point. Thank goodness for platform like Substack in time of urgent need to spread the word.
I really appreciate how you draw out loss of trust in ourselves. That resonated deeply. I see how this leads me to seek external validation in unhelpful, performative ways. Enjoying your writing!
How important it is to talk about the (loss of) trust in these dark times! I wrote this post on trust and brands some time ago which I hope you will find useful. https://www.plazida.com/en/blog/have-we-lost-trust-in-brands
Loved the article you wrote, thanks a lot for sharing. I worked as a marketer for big hospitality brands for over a decade and I have to admit that I have become disillusioned (as well as disgusted) by the many tactics deployed by marketers. The industry used to thrive on creativity, especially back in those days when online marketing wasn’t a thing. But these days, marketing tactics seem to revolve a little too much around consumers manipulation. It feels like us consumers are waking up to the reality that we’re not as “protected” as we thought we were.
I'm glad you like it and how right you are about online marketing. It is written during the pandemic, under that effect many of us had then that we were going to come out better, that COVID had exposed our vulnerabilities, and that there was no way things would ever go back to the way we were. Then, came the war in Ukraine, the terrible genocide in Gaza, the re-election of Trump, and the certainty that climate change is here and it is terrifying. In these circumstances, I think my brain cells, if they are to be of any use, have to be in the reinvention of a system in the service of the 99%. And I'm not sure that branding as we understand it now has a place in that new world. It needs urgent reinvention.
I am absolutely 100% with you there. This is the collective consciousness I've been thinking about. The experience you described, I can resonate with to a tee. My husband and I had to close down our restaurant business in London during the London lockdown. We watched the Russian invasion and looked at each other fearing that World war III breakout was closer than we realised. When the global supply chain impacted all of us, I realised how interconnected we really are. When I started seeing actual emotional disconnection from people around me (to return to the 'bubble'), I decided that I wanted to be very vocal about what's going on.
When I watched Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth back when it first came out in 2006, I really thought that the world will have figured something workable and sustainable by now but nope, it's not even on the main agenda right now. I live in Thailand and I can honestly say that our beaches changed a lot. We've lost a lot of beach space over the years. The sand used to be filled with seashells but now, quite rare to see one.
In service of the 99% is such a great way to put it. Simple and to the point. Thank goodness for platform like Substack in time of urgent need to spread the word.